An odd thing happened here, all of a sudden. In the middle of a series of escapades that felt to me like they would never end at all (and indeed, I’d rather accepted that there would be no end at all) it all came to a peaceful and thorough end. My goal for the Christmas knitting (which I had fallen rather behind on) was to finish it all by 12th night… and I did. Tuppers socks are done and will be off to him in the mail in short order.
The pattern is from Classics in Kroy (Patons #922) , a wonderful booklet that I’ve had for years. My copy is seriously ratted up, but my google-fu failed to find anywhere that this was still available. Anybody know?
The yarn is Dream in Color Smooshy (and it really is smooshy) and there was some serious competition for this colourway, particularly amongst the men in the family who think it’s tremendously masculine. (I can’t wait to tell them it’s called “Cocoa Kiss“.)
While I was on a roll I finished Susan’s scarf…
Another beautiful Just Enough Ruffles, and I think that this time I found the perfect yarn, in Blue Moon’s “Luscious Single Silk“. (This colourway is, most appropriately, Winter Solstice.) It’s soft and drapey and I am struggling with the fact that I’m putting it in the mail, but I am.
A scarf for Kelly got finished. This is alternating 1X1 rows of Blue Moon’s Labrador in “Jewel of the Nile”, and Silk Loops in “Bejewelled” and the colour is more accurate in the top picture. (Tina says she’s replacing Labrador with another yarn she likes better called “ThickieThin”. Tina also tells me that these yarns aren’t on the website right now (which would be why I couldn’t find them again) but will be on Monday.
I finished at night, about 20 minutes before I gave it away, and so the colour is wildly off in this last one.
I did 1X1 stripes by using 10mm Swing Needles (there’s a “how to use them” tutorial there), but you could do it with ginormous dpn’s or even a circular needle, where you pushed the work from one end to the other. It’s a fun trick to do with two wildly different yarns. When I learned it, I immediately figured out what most of the novelty yarns in my stash were for.
I finished the last (for now) of the Noro two row stripe scarves, this one for my mum.
(Noro Silk Garden, #’s 284 and 47)
Then, using cashmere to cope with disaster, I knit a wee and very, very pretty cowl, but I’m going to show you that tomorrow because all this doneness in one day is too overwhelming- because also?
The plumbing is done, the drywall repairs are done and (finally) I can use the new washer again, as it was so cruelly removed from my grasp by the great soil pipe disaster of ’09. It’s great having a new soil pipe, but I think that I’d love it if the next renovation on this house was a) voluntary b) less pricey, and c) VISIBLE.
Still. I’m not complaining. There’s a lot to be said for being able to flush at will.
Yippee! Everything looks great.
Great FO’s! And glad to see the house is put back together – I always love seeing your back splash!!
*Did the girls survive this as well as their mom?
Not to mention the blog post is also finished. There’s done, and then there’s overdone.
P.S. I might have a copy of that leaflet. It will take me months to find…..
Now I know who took my mojo! I’ve been casting on item after item and never finishing anything. It’s you! You’re the one with all the finishing power.
Lovely job, though, on everything. (Including the kitchen.)
Will probably disagrees
Glad to hear everything is back to normal.
Seeing your FOs, I feel obliged to mention that you now have me hooked on the Noro Scarf. I am on my second one with yarn for a third! How can anything that boring be that much fun?
All the knitting is lovely, but I understand the love that goes with having walls put back together.
I absolutely concur that renovations should be a) voluntary; b) not pricey; and c) VISIBLE. Californians often have to have foundations redone and have the house tied to the foundation. It is crucial because of the real risk of earthquakes, but when it is done, you can’t see anything that would seem to justify the ENORMOUS cost. Boring.
Do you know what you have done to my supplier of Silk Garden..shelves are empty of all the good scarf colours. I can’t get any more!
Could you start something in a yarn I have lots of….
Do you know what you’ve done? Now I HAD to go out and get some Noro and am in the middle of making one of those scarves. So much fun. And I just love the socks. You are largely to blame for my addiction to some of the best yarns I have ever worked with.
Glad to see that your problems in your house got fixed. Did you take my advice and get either someone from the clergy or a medium to let Sir Washie know that he can move on, that he has taken care of all his unfinished business?
Household repairs usually, as a rule cost about twice as much as the first figure that pops into your head. I read that somewhere and the formula has never failed me.
What’s the name of the newer, whiter, front loading model? I still say you should have a contest to name him….
Just incredible! I can’t believe you managed all that knitting while the washer was failing and the house was being torn up all around you. I especially like the socks. I’d better search for the pattern booklet because I’m sure that my husband will want some for himself as soon as he sees them.
Flushing at will can never be over rated. Last winter my well pump died and it was over 24 hours for hubby to repair it. I was reduced to melting snow to flush our toilets.
LOVE the bright scarf – for the gray of winter, it is a tonic. Now that you’ve finished so many gifts, it looks like priming and painting the ceiling and wall are staring you in the face. Paint will cover the “proof” of the bill, however, so you might want to wait and savor the sheetrock.
Everything looks so good! Can’t wait to see the cowl. I was kinda hoping to see it today… cashmere-tease!!! I’m so glad everything worked out for you. I’ve had holiday seasons like that before. BTW, the backsplash in your kitchen is GORGEOUS! Did you do that yourselves? It’s just beautiful! =^)
Horray for doneness!
OMG I LOVE your kitchen tiles!!! Very Kaffe Fassett. If I didn’t live in a rented house I would SO be eyeballing my walls right about now… 🙂 I deeply love the socks too. Manly yet interesting.
Oh, that sock is so pretty. Now *there* is a reason to work cuff down, flap and gusset and all. Ordinarily I abhor flap and gusset, preferring short-row heels, but… golly, that’s pretty.
As best I can tell your countertops are nicer than mine.
Is this the booklet you’re looking for?
http://blujay.com/?page=ad&adid=1869365&cat=10140107
It came right up using what Google used to call Froogle and now rather boringly calls Google Product Search.
“All’s well that ends well.” May the New Year only get better.
Yeah! Good on ya! All’s well that ends well!
Now where’s that cowl, hmmm?
We had to buy a new mattress a while back. They don’t let you buy just the mattress, you gotta get the box springs, too. It was a needed purchase, but not a fun one. And since there are only two of us who sleep in the bed, it’s not noticeable to others either. But now, long after the pain of the purchase is over, I love a good nights sleep in my comfy bed. You will love not having drainage issues. The pain will fade over time.
I love your kitchen!!! I love your knitting!!I wish I could crank out socks like you can.
Congrats on having everything put back together. Now how long will that spot remain unpainted? In my house, probably a year, so I wish you luck with that! The socks and scarves are great-looking forward to the cowl…
http://www.velona.com/items/categories/patons.html this site has the booklet for $9.95 I know how you feel about spending a lot of money on your house with nothing to show for it – maybe it’s because, as knitter, we expect the investment of time & money to show lovely (or at least noticeable) results.
All the done-ness is indeed beautiful, but I especially like the ruffle scarf (which is strange because I’m not a huge fan of knitting scarves or wearing ruffles)
Lovely socks and scarves. You never fail to inspire!
the booklets are listed for sale at these URLs:
http://www.mypollywogs.com/pollypatons.html
http://www.velona.com/items/categories/patons.html
Congratulations on getting it all done! Doesn’t it feel marvelous? 🙂
Loved all your finished projects. I think my family would love it if I finished that many at once. The socks are lovely. Do you have something to suggest for a beginner. I’ve knitted for years but never been brave enough to complete socks, I start them and well make a mess. Kitch looks great!
Wow! Your kitchen looks gorgeous! Did you do the tilework yourself? I mean, in between finishing all that stuff for Christmas?? You are Wonder Woman! (Well, Wonder Woman North.)
Yay flushing! And Topper is getting some awesome socks.
Your kitchen is the same color as my dining room. So spring-y! I love the tile backsplash too.
You have inspired me to spend my bronchitis-enforced home confinement to finish some socks and that Noro scarf, which I’ve decided is for me.
Medicine-induced rant: Money is to be spent on things that improve life, not watched like a pot of water. That does NOT include aimless shopping sprees at the mega-mall, which is how so many Americans got their finances into a mess. Improvements in my book: a great mattress, upgraded energy-efficient appliances, a car that starts in ALL weather, energy-efficient windows, books and yarn.
I put the soil pipe in the above category — I don’t have one, but the thought of one failing in my house scares the dickens out of me!
Congratulations! Glad to see things are back to normal. Those socks are fab as is the ruffle scarf. I think I see them in my future. (Cocoa Kiss–I like that name).
Good grief!! So much finished knitting. Do you knit in your sleep or do you have 3 pairs of hands??
I love the socks. I am just attempting my first socks with cables (all over). They are going slooooow…
I just got a skein of Smooshy at WEBS the other day, and I’m dying to use it! Love how your socks knitted up. 😀
Plumbing repairs that are not visible are EXACTLY like flushing cash down your toilet.
I’m fascinated by those swing needles.. I have never seen those before. I see swing needles in my future. Oh, and congratulations on all that finishing up!
Yep, my man got some “Cocoa Kiss” socks too. But in a plain vanilla pattern, nothing as fancy as yours. He actually wears them, which is nothing short of amazing. (He was the boyfriend that stored the sweater made for him. But I still married him!)
Now you might appreciate the wish for
a Happy New Year!
The scarfs, socks, knitting … all very nice… but I really love your backsplash. If we get a calmer countertop, I swear I’m going to try to recreate it.
I’m happy that your soil stack is all fixed. I have two copies of the booklet 922 – Classics in Kroy. Contact me if you would like one.
Wow, all those finished projects. When I do that, I end up wandering around the house like a zombie chanting, “now what?” like there is nothing left in the world to knit. Then I start 14 projects all at once.
Congrats on getting finished. I was rooting for you.
Yes, indoor plumbing is one of those things we take totally for granted … until it disappears. Congratulations on making it through an old house repair. May the next one be a long time coming.
those socks are lovely. and I KNOW how nice smooshy yarn is. Here’s hoping the rest of the year goes smoothly.
I, too, had a few household disasters to start the New Year, which made me worried about the rest of 2009 until a friend told me the following:
“there are some ancient wisdom traditions that believe that when that many things go wrong, it is meant to divert your attention when something really amazing is gestating in your life”
So, I hope something really amazing happens for you this year!
Ooooo, thanks for the yarn recommendation for just enough ruffles. I’ve been hunting for the perfect yarn for that scarf! Love how that one turned out. Did you have a lot leftover or did it use most of the skein? Lovely!
I’m glad the tile work survived the event. It’s gorgeous.
Excellent work, both on surviving the plumbing and finishing the knitting. I love the Just Enough Ruffles scarf and bought the pattern to get a jump start on the Christmas 2009 knitting. IT will not get me this year…
I like your kitchen, especially the backsplash.
Woohoo! I’ve been watching the goings on chez Harlot with some trepidation as I’ve just re-entered homeownership. Hooray! But now if I pipe blows I’m the one on the hook, not the landlord. But, it means moving on with my life, which is oh so good. And I get a new washer and dryer this weekend, which I think you can understand may just be the single most exciting thing of the whole move! Bliss…
You have been a terrific sport through all the fixing up you have had to cope with in the last year or so. Hopefully, this marks the end of the gremlins whispering” Let’s get Stephanie again,she is still standing”.
The cashmere is really softly to die for!
I made my nephew a “real man dressy” scarf out of cashmere from Argosy since he will be doing a lot if interviewing for teaching jobs(of which there are none in Michigan due to our economy).
If I could all my knitted items would be in cashmere but…reread the sentence about the economy above.
Happy New Year and may this be the year that no types of repairs are necessary on your “old” house.
I think this website has the pattern book you’re looking for.
http://ourtownusa.net/yarnyard/kroy.htm
Love the knitting you’ve accomplished, and you are going to love how fast your laundry goes with the new washer and dryer. My dryer usually has things dry before the next load comes out of the washer. Of course the washer spins things so well that they don’t take very long to dry.
Happy New Year!
I got my first ever smooshy yarn as a Christmas gift from my son. (Yay!) But in Ruby River, so the socks will be for me. And I’ve been happily knitting on my Noro scarf, which is now in the homestretch. The colors vary from bright, to deep, to rich … so much amusement from something I get to wear when the knitting is done. Without your calling this Noro-ness to our attention, I would never have had the experience. Many thanks!!! And congratulations on your put-back-togetherness. You’ve inspired me to go clear off my own kitchen counters. Yours look so peaceful.
~ Dar
Love, love, love the Ruffles scarf!! I’m going to have to pick up yarn for that tonight and just DO IT! So glad the repairs were quick and (relatively) painless. Hopefully this will be it for 2009. At least you got it out of the way early.
Beautiful knitting, especially love the socks. And I agree how wonderful it is to be D-O-N-E with necessary and invisible projects. (Upkeep is so dull, that’s why housework just doesn’t appeal.) I must say, though, how much I like your backsplash. Fun and funky, it would make me happy as I poured my coffee and wine.
You know you raise a good point. Ther IS a lot to be said for being able to flush at will.
That might be my mantra this week……
I STILL can’t get over how gorgeous your back splash is!! Glad to see everything is (nearly) back to shipshape and Bristol fashion.
Congrats on the finished house projects. May the next repair be for the owner 100 years from now! Though…. how is your ancient, workhorse heater doing?
Hooray!
And thanks again, as always, for putting yourself through all this for our entertainment benefit. Perhaps you should consider some sort of admission fee…
I’ve never known it to fail that when, for some reason, you mustn’t flush, every kid in the house/neighborhood MUST use your toilet immediately. And often.
Oooh! I got a skein of Luscious Single Silk for Christmas from my friend Emily and I’ve been toying with the idea of using it to knit the just enough ruffles scarf. You just convinced me…
All this done-ness sort of makes me feel like a terrible slacker in the knitting department (I received a really good book for Christmas, and I can’t put it down!).
I may have commented on this before, but it should be repeated: The tiling mosaic you have in your kitchen is truly stunning. Did you do it yourself (something tells me yes, but I might be remembering something else)? And if yes, can you come do mine when we buy a house? ;P
Enough already indeed, regarding home reclamations. YIPPEEEE!!!!
Glad you were able to knit through it though.
Off to order a pair of those funky needles. I am helpless in the land of different knitting tools.
I love when those kinds of odd things happen. Time to celebrate!
Ooooh, love the backsplash! Very inspiring! The socks are all wonderful. I really must learn to knit instead of crochet.
(This is me, coming out of Lurker-dom…)
Fantastic job meeting all of your deadlines! Really like that sock pattern, too. I hope someone says that it’s still available!
I found it here:
http://www.velona.com/items/239/B23906.html
Wow, I LOVE the mosaic on your backsplash! I want that! I want a kitchen. This apartment has a decent kitchen, but there is no counter space at ALL.
Oh, and good job on the knitting.
So many finished objects at once! The socks are divine.
Using your colorful scarf as inspiration, I just finished a scarf in bulky wool alternated with nylon-and-metallic ribbon. I used bulky dpn’s, and purled every row. I had knit two feet before I realized that I had a horizontal rib, as in the instructions you just linked to, instead of garter. I continued in the same fashion, since it was just as nice.
It was good to have a simple, quick knit to do, as I am also going through a series of crises at present, some in the home-maintenance department, and some health related, and wanted something I could knit without thinking.
YAY YOU! I have to admit, I had my doubts as to whether it could be done, but you’ve shown us all. Cocoa Kiss. That’s RICH!
Looks like you can get the booklet here:
http://ourtownusa.net/yarnyard/kroy.htm
http://www.woolery.com/Pages/booksknittingAK.html
Love the socks and scarves! ♥
I succumbed to a Noro scarf, too–and since my daughter was nice to me all the time she was home, I gave it to her. And she loves it.
Someone gave me your calendar for Christmas (so had to buy your new book myself, not a hardship). I’m enjoying it, but one thing: you’re a Luddite EXCEPT in old and new Sir Washies. Happy New Year.
I,for one,am a fan of indoor plumbing.I cannot even imagine what pioneer life was like.Give the “flushing at will” any day.FOs are wonderful-hopefully they’ll inspire me to finish some of my objects.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE your back splash! You did it yourself, didn’t you?
Can I just say that I LOVE your backsplash! Is that your own creation?
Well now, all those FO’s have me feeling pretty good and I didn’t have a thing to do with them!
Also, I LOVE THE CALENDAR! I’ve placed it on my share of the bathroom counter so I see it first thing in the morning. Yesterday’s entry is going to live in my knitting basket, ready for me to whip out for anyone who gives me grief about the 58th single sock!
Hehe! Part of my kitchen looks EXACTLY like that! We had a plumbing leak over the summer and my dad cut into the ceiling to fix it and patched it up similarly. It’s in the same type of corner too. Only we have white walls, but he managed to patch it up in grey, so there’s still a huge contrast spot.
Classics in Kroy – Socks and Gloves: pattern book with directions for knitting 20 different styles of socks, 5 styles of gloves plus convertible mittens, using Kroy wool/nylon blend yarn. $8.95.
http://www.woolery.com/Pages/booksknittingAK.html
*phew* Crisis conquered! Clearly knit therapy came through as well, with some beautiful gifts resulting. The kitchen looks much better now and so lucky that there wasn’t as much damage to the walls as feared. Dear gods woman, how do you keep your head around there. 😛
p.s love the tiling in your kitchen.
p.p.s looking forward to the cowl tomorrow…mmmm cashmere…*drool*
Everything looks beautiful. Congrats on getting it all done in time. You are a faster knitter that I. I gave up Christmas knitting a few years ago succumbing to the stress LOL.
I am pretty sure Len’s Mills, in Cambridge, down the street from me has this book. I can find out and mail it to you if you want.
I’m grateful that someone else admits to the mailing-day wobblies, in which the handsome socks or warm winter cowl or the silver-grey tweed gansey move across the counter to the silent cry of, “Noooo! I want it back!” And you trudge out of the post office telling yourself that you’ll make one for yourself one of these days.
oops on my previous comment. Thats Cambridge On Canada btw. Not too far from you.
Very, very nice socks…
SO glad your kitchen tiling survived the onslaught – it’s seriously beautiful.
And YES on the invisible repairs; my next job is to ask the plumber why I can’t get properly hot water any more; so I’ll have a big white boiler which works, rather than one which doesn’t, for the price of many skeins of prettiness.
THAT is a beautiful pair of socks – such an elegant side cable – I’m going to hunt down the pattern…
Ms. Harlot – you might make a knitter out of me yet. Keep showing those socks, and I may take the plunge. Those socks are beautiful – – the reason I have not started knitting yet, is because, in general I am not drawn to small and precise.
I also enjoy your blog because I know that I will feel good when / after reading. Sometimes my laughs are at your / Joe expense, but I figure that you expect that if you put it out there. Blessings to you for the sharing and a happy and peace filled ’09.
Beautiful FO’s! Yeah on getting to use your appliances and kitchen again!!
I’m in total agreement about the wish for more visible home improvements – people don’t seem so excited to scamper down to my grotty basement to look at the new furnace and the roof is covered in snow so they can’t be forced to admire it anymore.
Beautiful socks – I’ve been thinking of getting Dream in Colour and now I’m convinced. Love all the FOs.
So glad everything is looking up for you. You can scan and store your leaflet on your computer. Then put it in a ziplock bag for safekeeping. I have some vintage patterns that were my grandmothers. I scanned them and just print off a copy when I want to use them.
Happy New Year and Blessings to you and your family. Carolyn
What a cool backsplash. Congratulations on making it through the holidays and then some.
All’s well that ends well!
Is “soil pipe” Canadian for “sewer pipe” – the one that carries the waste & yucky stuff away? Just curious. Also, love, love, LOVE the bright colors of that scarf with the swing needles, though not sure I’m totally with the needle idea.
I feel so inadequate as a knitter after reading how much you accomplished for Christmas! The socks are particularly pretty. Glad your house is back together in working order. Your kitchen is very pretty. Cheers!
It’s amazing seeing you cope your way through disaster with all of those knits. It might not be a pleasant experience (the disasters, not the knitting), but it certainly helps keep you very productive!
I love your kitchen backsplash! Loverly! I’m still a bit confused at what a soil pipe is…
I’ve just started my second Just Enough Ruffles scarf. That is such a fun quick knit!
Lovely socks. I’ve just been sitting here, peering closely at the screen so as to admire how even and beautiful your stitches are. Mine seem to be somewhat less so, especially on two needles. My knit tension seems different from my purling tension, and I seem to see ridges in my knitting, ie. some rows are slightly looser than others. Anyway, you make beautiful socks. And I love the name, it sounds like someone dipped their lips in chocolate and then gave someone a big smooch.Mmm.As long as the smoocher wasn’t the family dog.
Not a bad day at all!
I’m sure this has been asked before, but:
my god, woman, how fast do you knit???
Congrats on the soil stack. As someone who used to live in a very old house, to me it’s like you won the lottery. You’ve obviously lived a blameless life and have been kind to old people, animals, and those with acrylic stashes.
ps the Classics in Kroy is here:
http://www.woolery.com/Pages/booksknittingAK.html
http://yarnforward.com/ca/index.html
I’m not sure if they have it but last time I was there they had it.
Great job finishing all the goodies. Everything looks great. I LOVE the socks. I found the pattern here.
http://www.woolery.com/Pages/booksknittingAK.html
Of course, I ordered my copy first. 🙂
Gorgeous back splash! Did you do it yourself?
I hear ya on the VISIBLE. The very first improvement on our brand new 50 year old house was to upgrade the electrical service. We spent a nice chunk of change so we could use the oven *and* the lights at the same time. I have found that while most people will have a favorable comment on the effects of the $20 can of paint, no one really cares about your upgraded electrical service, nor your shiny new breaker box. Not that that stopped me from showing it off.
Amen to the flushing at will. (Although I don’t know Will and I’m not sure it’s polite to be flushing things – especially THOSE things – at him at all!)
I’m on my 3rd of the ruffled scarves now, about to start the increase row. I really like this pattern, too.
Glad the kitchen and your knitting came together so well. Bask, dearest, bask. And we’ll all send happy-house thoughts your way.
Your FOs are all beautiful, but I totally love your colorful mosaic tiles above your kitchen counter! At least that is what it looks like in the picture. Pretty! 🙂
Steph, thewoolery.com has a book listed called Classics in Kroy. Check it out. I’ll be there on Saturday if you need me to have a look to see if it is the same thing.
Anne
Lovely socks! You might want to check out the Patons Beehive Ravelry group. They have an ISO thread there, someone may have your pattern leaflet.
Flushing at will is good.
Whew! You lived to tell about it! Love the knitting – especially “Just Enough Ruffles”. Glad you finished all your holiday capers.
I’m with everyone else who loves the backsplash and says how Kaffe Fassett it is. And how Stephanie Pearl-McPhee it is, too.
Ooooh I can’t wait to see the cowel. Beautiful scarf – I love the coolaid esque colours (hopefully that doesn’t insult the dyer… I love coolaid colours)
Enjoy flushing. “Plucky go down the hooooole” – Loony Toons
Isn’t finishing great! Now it is time to do something fun for yourself. And I don’t mean using the new soil pipe!
Your blog has inspired me to pick up my knitting needles again, and oh how I’ve missed them. I’m looking forward to learning to make socks and such!
P.S. “Cocoa Kiss” as a name is not at all masculine; I hope you let us know their reactions.
Flush at will? In Fairbanks, where it’s been -40 or below since Christmas, many of us have decided that plumbing is not worthwhile at all, considering all that goes wrong, and the foam seat of the outhouse seems really nice…
Flushing at will is not appreciated until one cannot. Other money sucking no-visible-improvement items at our house: new roof (2 yrs ago), heat for the kitchen(2009), new windows to replace the old leaky ones(2009). Visible improvements that are in line with your new washer–great to have but no real aesthetic improvement–new cooktop, new wall oven, new refrigerator and dishwasher. they all died or are in death throes as we speak…. It all makes home ownership seem as if it’s vastly overrated.
Happy New Year. It’s a week late, but at least now your house is clean inside and out, and your laundry will sparkle, too.
Indoor plumbing is a very, very good thing! Another year of Christmas knitting successfully completed, also a very good thing. Here’s hoping the rest of the year doesn’t include any more of those interesting house-ownership events.
Flush at will!
Wash at will!
Dry at will!
WOO-HOO! Good thing you have your Christmas knitting done, because I know what you’ll be doing: flushing, washing and drying!!
Nice FOs, very satisfying, eh?
Okay, the world is falling about your ears and you still finished the knitting on time…. [but then she reminds self that this woman DID invent the knitting Olympics…. ]
Glad to hear life is about as normal as it gets.
okay, while i recognize that it’s probably somewhat frustrating to post about a series of knitting accomplishments and the completion of a major home renovation and have so many people ask about your BACKSPLASH, but seriously… did you do it yourselves? i think it deserves its own blog post.
Isn’t it funny how much pleasure we can find in just getting back to where we were before it all fell apart? I have an old house (almost 100) and it seems sometimes that I don’t really make progress, just fix or replace stuff that breaks. But there is nothing like having our washer or water or heat taken away to make us appreciate it when it is back. My friends ooh and aah over my home projects and I ooh and aah over theirs. (We call them “waste pipes”, at least in Oregon. “Soil” is a better euphemism.)
Renovations and repairs – if only they could occur in the middle of the day in the middle of the week in the middle of good weather. At my home disasters always happen late at night on the weekend or during holidays during the worst storm of the year. Or the coldest night. Never fails.
But oh, all that beautiful knitting! INVU!
knitting: all beautiful. but i have to say, that is a verrrry attractive stove. gas?
I can’t believe how much knitting got done in the face, or because of,such stress.
I love the multicolored yarn, but if you’re interested in that look, you really should consider sari yarn
It’s made by a woman’s collective in Nepal (single mothers, mothers fleeing abusive relationships) out of the silk scraps they buy from indian sari factories. It’s stunningly beautiful, and not all that expensive compared to premium yarns here, and between the recycling aspect and the sustainability and the allowing people to be self-supporting thing, it’s the proudest yarn I’ve spent money on (although I admit that I couldn’t quite see my way to buying it for myself so I’ve given it as a special present instead)
Carina at 4:46 – there’s a paint product in the US called Kilz that covers just about anything, even red paint and pine resin, and it doesn’t soak through. Then you paint over it with the color you really want.
I always admire people’s “invisible” repairs, having had a few done around here.
WOW! That sounded like MY day today! I was shocked that everything was going okay with my Manon sweater (thanks for the pics of your manon, by the way. They really helped me fall in love with this great sweater!) and the kitchen looks great!
Come to think of it, your *last* home improvement project, fixing up a bedroom for your daughter, was voluntary, less pricey, and visible.
Joy!
hi:)
what is the style/color of your kitchen cabnets?
also, tell me about the mosaic looking area above the countertops?
thanx
peace&blessings
mary~
Here you go :). It looks like they have this booklet in stock. Several places were sold out.
http://thevillageknitter.com/productdetail.cfm?ID=1797
No @#$%^&**-!
Blessings, and happy washing and drying
You are wonderful! Swing knitting is awesome for striping stuff without having to carry the wool! Yay!
Stephanie, you make me howl about your tragedies! And you must have some kinda Irish jing endurance with that barrage of bad house karma. But like my friend Linda said, “Alls well that ends.” So did the house repairs and the projects all come together at once? I touched those smooshy socks!! GARgeous cowl, jeez.
Your backsplash is fantastic! I love the mosaic look.
Bought mine at Birch Hill Yarns in Calgary a couple of years ago. They may still have it in stock. They don’t have a web site; their phone number is (403) 271-4042.
Beautiful backsplash, and my bet is that you did it yourself with tiles you found at a ridiculously low price? And what else would we expect from a woman that creates a veritible storehouse of Christmas knitting and all I can manage is 3 hats, 2 scarves and 1 pair of socks (and I STARTED in September). Sigh.
Hope this helps:
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/patons-922-classics-in-kroy
You can get the booklet here:
http://ourtownusa.net/yarnyard/kroy.htm
http://www.woolery.com/pages/booksknittingAK.html
I love your FOs!
Yet another place that has this booklet:
http://www.knittingzone.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=9453
Yes, Classics in Kroy is still available. I saw it at the Spinrite factory outlet in Listowel, ON over the weekend.
Hi Stephanie,
I live in Ottawa and I am a reader of your blog.
In “Metro paper” a free paper distributed at the bus stops, I saw an article about you and iam sending You the info :
http://www.metronews.ca
5th of January at page 10.
You might already know about it but iam sending it, just in case you don’t.
Regards
An
Hi Stephanie,
I live in Ottawa and I am a reader of your blog.
In “Metro paper” a free paper distributed at the bus stops, I saw an article about you and iam sending You the info :
http://www.metronews.ca
5th of January at page 10.
You might already know about it but iam sending it, just in case you don’t.
Regards
An
I love, love, love your backsplash!!! If I ever get to design another kitchen (left that house long ago) I’d like something like this with bright peach up top!
Definitely going in the idea file!
Thanks
I love all the FO! Especially the 1×1 scarf. It is SO colorful and pretty! I have to tell you though, of all the pics, my fav is of your kitchen! I LOVE the backsplash. It is gorgeous!
Hilarious that you had minimal problems with the knitting and all that other bad stuff happened. Maybe the knitting gods have more powers than we think?!
Option D is the best – when it happens AFTER you’ve moved out!!
Gorgeous backsplash – gorgeous socks – every wall in my rental is white and I suffer from color deprivation on a regular basis.
Happily, I get replenished at your blog! Thanks for a wonderful year of posts, and many more to come.
oooooooooh… I like the sock pattern. Very much. (But then I’m attracted to cables in socks… one might call it an obsession.)
The scarves are gorgeous.
And I love, love, love, LOVE your back splash. It’s giving me ideas for the back splash in my kitchen.
Yah… a comment full of love. 😀 Happy 2009!
Just to let you know – I did 4 of the Just Enough Ruffle Scarf pattern for gifts this Christmas, however I added 4 rows of eyelash yarn at the ruffle as a carryalong yarn – the look was fun and well received. Actually one was made for a little person so I only used 100 stitchs to cast on, shortened the wraps to 14 total and increased to 300 for the ruffle rows. This too worked out and was well received by the 4 year old.
from a vermont reader
Congratulations on getting your house back together.
You know, I had nightmares about in-home mudslides. Glad to hear yours resolved so well!
That Just Enough Ruffle is gorgeous. I knit 4 cowls out of Malabrigo’s silk/wool for gifts, but I may have to try out the Blue Moon.
Cloud Jungle (at least mine) is a more “feminine” brown than Cocoa Kiss–kind of like you learned if you were sloppy with your watercolors?
Here’s a link I found for the Paton 922 booklet:
http://www.velona.com/items/239/B23906.html
Hope you’re able to find a replacment!
I’m in love with the cowl. I NEED the pattern. Glad the repairs went well and relatively cheap. Cashmere rules. All these non sequiturs means I need sleep.
The LSS is some of the most fun yarn I’ve knit with. I’m glad to see it promoted.
I’m just finishing up a project using LSS to make Stephanie Japhel’s Airy Wraparound sweater, and I think it’s going to be amazing.
I love love love your backsplash…it looks like a yarn puzzle I got for Christmas…all those colors…wonderful…again…love it…
Gee Steph, your kitchen counters are so CLEAN. I wish my kitchen looked that nice.
Oh frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!’
He chortled in his joy.
L. Carroll
It’s is so comforting to have our lives return to a happy normal. Congrats!
I loved the socks – so immediately went to my LYS (she usually has everything!) and there it was. I bought one for myself ($8.95) and she had more. Want one?
Now I hope I am up to that level of sock knitting!
Oh huzzah! How did I miss this post, you know, the one with all of the sanity!
In my opinion, the best thing about the plumbing is that they didn’t ruin the beautiful tile! I think I would have cried if that had happened.
I’m loving that all these wee internet vendors are getting emails on a previously not well known Kroys pattern. I picked up the last one that a vendor in Kansas had. She was most surprised to get a call from an Australian in New Jersey.
Glad to see your kitchen (and family) has come through (relatively) unscathed.
You have a very definite style, dear yarn harlot. It is northern and restrained. It is subtle and elegant. That scarf is not it. It is an aberration. Pretty, but aberrant.
the knitting is gorgeous, I’ll have to check out the swing needles. Mostly I’m glad your kitchen is closed up and you all are inside your own four walls!
Hey, I saw that booklet at the hospice thrift store here in pg about 2 weeks ago. nice socks!!
Beautiful tiles on the walls!
booklet also here: http://ourtownusa.net/yarnyard/kroy.htm
Is anyone still seeing this booklet with socks available anywhere? It looks like it’s sold EVERYWHERE! What a power, Stephanie, your word has got!
Love all your FOs, but really love the backsplash in your kitchen, too! Lovely!!
eFront-Интернет магазин Бытовой и компьютерной техники http://www.e-front.com.ua
That Patons booklet is out of print; I contacted Patons. I love that cable, though, and am trying to figure out how to make it. I can’t seem to find that particular cable in any of my stitch dictionaries. I wonder how long it is before out of print means it is okay to copy and share the pattern?